SHRINATH TEMPLE

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Context

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi performed pooja and darshan at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. He also offered ‘bhet puja’ to Lord Shrinath.  

About Shrinathji Temple

• It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shrinathji in Nathdwara.
• It is considered an important pilgrimage centre by Vaishnavas.

Legend

• The deity of the Lord Krishna according to the legend, is self-manifested from stone and emerged from the Govardhan Hills.
• Historically, the image of Shrinathji was first worshipped at Govardhan hill, near Mathura.
• The image was initially shifted from Mathura in 1672 CE along river Yamuna and was retained at Agra for almost six months, in order to safeguard it from the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
• When the deity reached the spot at village Sihad, the wheels of the bullock cart in which the deity was being transported could not be moved any farther.
• The priests realised that the particular place was the Lord's chosen spot and accordingly, a temple was built there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar.
• The temple was built by Goswami Damodar Das Bairagi in 1672.
• Presently, Shrinathji's worship is performed by direct male descendants of Vallabhacharya.

Structure

• The temple has been designed in the lines of Nanda Maharaj (Krishna's father) temple, in Vrindavan.
• Therefore, it is also known as Nanda Bhavan or Nandalaya (the House of Nanda).
• Structurally, a kalasha on the shikhara marks the top of the temple, on which seven flags are flown along with the Sudarshana Chakra.
• The seven flags represent the 7 'houses' of Pushti Marg or Vallabh Sampradaya.
• Shrinathji symbolizes a form of Krishna, when he lifted the Govardhan hill, with one arm raised.
• The iconography at the temple has given birth to Nathdwara Paintings.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1923060